Method of displaying landmark in navigation device

ABSTRACT

Additional marks made up of figures, marks or symbols representing a state in which the disposed state of a facility and/or the supplementary conditions thereof are displayed in combination with a landmark which is peculiar to the facility.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/JP00/04450 which has an Internationalfiling date of Jul. 4, 2000, which designated the United States ofAmerica.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a method of displaying a landmark in anavigation apparatus by which the degree of recognition of the landmarkas a sign of a facility displayed on a map screen of the navigationapparatus is improved.

BACKGROUND ART

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a map displayed on a monitordisplay according to a method of displaying a landmark of a conventionalnavigation apparatus. In the figure, facilities and places are shown byvarious landmarks in the form of recognizable signs such as figures,marks, symbols, or the like. Among them, reference numerals 1 and 2denote landmarks of chained convenience stores run by a company “L.”Reference numeral 3 denotes a landmark of a chained fast food shop runby a company “M.” Reference numerals 4, 5 and 6 similarly denotelandmarks of chained gas stations respectively run by other companies.As the landmarks for indicating these shops, the same kind of businessis sometimes displayed by the same symbol mark. However, in order toenable the user to select one according to his/her own preference, apeculiar landmark based on a symbol mark or a trademark of the companyrunning its own chained shops is recently displayed as shown in FIG. 1to facilitate the recognition of the peculiar landmark.

According to the above-described method of displaying the landmarks, thefollowing may actually occur when driving a motor vehicle. For example,although the landmarks 1 and 2 of the convenience stores of the company“L” are displayed by the same marks, some of these stores are detached,and stores facing a road, and others are disposed inside a building. Inthe latter case, there is a possibility that the driver may overlook thestore if it does not directly face the road. In addition, if thelandmark 3 of the fast food shop run by the company “M” faces a roadwhich has no space for parking a motor vehicle and if the shop has noparking lot, the driver will be unable to do the scheduled shoppingtherein and will therefore have no other choice but pass by the shop. Inthis manner, since the user fails to grasp the state in which the shopis actually placed or the supplementary conditions thereof in advance,there is such a problem that the user sometimes fails to availhimself/herself of the shop even if he/she has come to the front of theshop which he/she is looking for or cannot immediately cope with thesituation in which he/she is placed.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto this invention comprises the steps of: storing an additional markmade up of a figure, a mark and a symbol representing at least one of aninstalled state and a supplementary condition of the facility in astorage device as a data base; determining, when the landmark is to bedisplayed on a map of the monitor display, as to whether the facilityhas at least one of the installed state and the supplementary condition;calling up a corresponding additional mark, if the facility has at leastone of the installed state and the supplementary condition, from thedata base for displaying in combination with a peculiar landmark of thefacility: and displaying the peculiar landmark of the facility as asingle landmark, if the facility does not have at least one of theinstalled state and the supplementary condition.

According to this arrangement, the driver of a motor vehicle immediatelynotices the state of the facility he is going to drop in as well as thesupplementary condition thereof, while he/she is driving the motorvehicle in advance. Therefore, there is such an effect that the drivercan concentrate on the driving in a psychologically relaxed mannerwithout confusion, thereby also contributing to the traffic safety.

The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto this invention is characterized in that a size of the peculiarlandmark is set to be smaller when displayed in combination with theadditional mark than when displayed independently.

According to this arrangement, the landmark to be independentlydisplayed and the landmark to be displayed in combination with anadditional mark are set in substantially the same size. Therefore, thereis such an effect that no sense of incompatibility can be felt from theviewpoint of display.

The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto this invention is characterized in that a plurality of differentadditional marks are simultaneously displayed in combination with thepeculiar landmark.

According to this arrangement, there is such an effect that the state inwhich the facility of the peculiar landmark is placed is displayed inmore detail, resulting in an effective discrimination.

The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto this invention is characterized in that the additional mark is one ofa pictorial representation and a figure, both having an image inclusiveof a building, an underground market, a supermarket, a park and so on.

According to this arrangement, there is such an effect that the state inwhich the facility of the peculiar landmark is placed is made easier tobe visually recognized, so that the confirmation of the situation ismade immediately.

The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto this invention is characterized in that the additional mark is a markhaving an image inclusive of a parking lot, a drive through, or thelike.

According to this arrangement, marks such as ordinarily used trafficsignals or the like are available for use as additional marks.Therefore, there is such an effect that the supplementary condition ofthe peculiar landmark is recognizable at a glance.

The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto this invention is characterized in that the additional mark is afigure such as a mesh, a frame, or the like to enclose the peculiarlandmark.

According to this arrangement, there is such an effect that an expandeduse is provided to the displaying mode of the navigation apparatus bydefining in advance the additional mark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a map displayed by a landmarkindication method of a conventional navigation apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a map displayed by a landmarkdisplaying method according to a first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a navigation apparatus for carryingout the landmark displaying method according to the first embodiment ofthis invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the landmark displaying methodaccording to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the data construction of thelandmark according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 6 is an illustration showing an explanatory indication of landmarksaccording to the first embodiment of this invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In order to describe this invention in more detail, a description willhereinafter be made about the best mode for carrying out this inventionwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Embodiment)

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the map screen displayed on adisplay according to the method of displaying a landmark in a navigationapparatus according to this invention. This figure shows in comparisonwith FIG. 1 and the same reference numerals have been given to thecorresponding portions thereof. In the figure, the landmark 1 of theconvenience store run by the company “L” is displayed in a manneroverlapped with a mark mocking a building. This is displayed in such amanner to discriminate it from the landmark 2 of the convenience storeof the same chain to enable the recognition. Namely, the former landmark1 means a shop disposed inside a building, while the latter landmark 2means a shop in a detached house facing the road. In addition, thelandmark 3 of the fast food shop run by the company “M” has another mark“P” which is displayed in the close proximity thereto, and it means thatthere is a parking space available.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a navigation apparatus to be used forcarrying out the first embodiment of this invention, and is the one formaterializing the method of displaying the recognizable landmarks asthose shown in FIG. 2. In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes aninput/output apparatus for inputting and outputting the informationabout the driving route guide. Reference numeral 200 denotes apresent-position detecting apparatus for detecting the information aboutthe present position of a motor vehicle. Reference numeral 300 denotesan information storage device which stores therein: navigation datarequired for calculating the driving route, displaying data required fordriving route guide, and audio guide data; programs such as applicationprograms, an operating system (OS) and so on. Reference numeral 400denotes a central processing apparatus for performing a driving routesearch processing, a displaying processing required for driving routeguide, audio guide processing and so on, as well as for performing anoverall control of the entire system.

The input apparatus 100 is an interface section of the navigationapparatus which gives an instruction about the navigation processing tothe central processing apparatus 400 according to the driver'sintention, so that the driver can input the destination on the mapscreen, or can output, where necessary, the guide information by meansof sound or the screen. As an inputting section, there are provided atouch switch 11, operating switch, remote controller or the like toinput a destination by means of a telephone number, an address,coordinates on the map, or the like, or to make a request for thedriving route guide. As an outputting section, there is provided amonitor display 12 to indicate on the screen the input data to beprepared in advance in operating the inputting section, or to indicateon the screen the map to the destination, or to automatically indicatethe driving route guide according to the request by the driver. It isfurther provided with a printer 13 for printing a hard copy of the dataprocessed by the central processing apparatus 400 or the data stored inthe information storage device 300.

The present-position detecting apparatus 200 is provided with a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver 21, a vehicle information andcommunication system (VICS) receiver 22 and a data transmitter/receiver23. The GPS receiver 21 is a receiver for receiving the positionalinformation from satellites for the global positioning system for thepresent position of the motor vehicle. The VICS receiver 22 is areceiver for receiving information by utilizing a frequency modulated(FM) multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacon, optical beacon and soon.The data transmitter/receiver 23 is the one for performing abidirectional communication with an information center such as anadvanced traffic information service (ATIS) or with other motor vehiclesby utilizing a mobile phone, a personal computer or the like.

Further, the present position detecting apparatus 200 is provided with:an absolute azimuth sensor 24 for detecting the running direction of themotor vehicle in an absolute azimuth mode by utilizing, e.g.,terrestrial magnetism; a relative azimuth sensor 25 for detecting arelative destination in a relative azimuth mode by using a steeringsensor or a gyro sensor; and a distance sensor 26 for detecting adriving distance of the motor vehicle by the number of revolutions ofthe wheel. By means of these receivers 21, 22 and 23 as well as thesensors 24, 25 and 26, the present-position detecting apparatus 200 iscapable of obtaining the information related to the present position ofthe motor vehicle, the road information, the traffic information, andother service information which is supplied at the present position orthe like.

The information storage device 300 is an external storage device whichstores therein a navigation program and map data used for performing thenavigation program and is generally made up of a compact disc read onlymemory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk read only memory (DVD-ROM),orthe like. The stored programs include a program for performing theprocessing of searching the driving route, a processing program whichfollows the flow chart shown in this embodiment, a program forperforming the indication output required for guiding the driving route,an audio output control required for audio guiding and so on. The datastored in the same storage region as these programs are the datarequired for the above-described programs, and the display informationdata required for the driving route guide and the map indication.Further, the data stored in the data storage region are made up of themap data, searching data, guide data, map matching data, destinationdata, registered point data, road data, style-wise data, landmark dataand so on, all of which are data required for the navigation apparatus.The landmark data serve as signs for facilities, parks, or the like tobe shown on the map, and include particular companies, shops, or thelike, as well as additional mark data related to the present embodimentof this invention.

The central processing apparatus 400 is provided with: a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 40 for performing various operating processes; aflash memory 41 for reading a program out of the information storagedevice 300 and storing it therein; a ROM 42 for storing therein aprogram which performs a program checking and a renewing process of theflash memory 41; a random access memory (RAM) 43 for temporarily storingtherein searched driving route guide information such as the coordinatesof the destination to be set, the code number of the road name, or thelike, as well as the data under operation; and an image memory 44 whichhas stored therein image data for use in displaying on the monitordisplay 12. The central processing apparatus 400 is further providedwith: an image processor 45 which takes out image data from the imagememory 44 based on a display output control signal from the CPU 40 forfurther image processing and outputting it to the monitor display 12; anaudio processor 46 which synthesizes voices, phrases, sentences, sounds,or the like read out of the information storage device 300 based on anaudio output control signal from the CPU 40 for converting the thussynthesized data to analog data, and for outputting the thus converteddata to a loudspeaker 14; a communication interface 47 which performsexchanging of input and output data through communication; a sensorinput interface 48 which captures sensor signals from thepresent-position detecting apparatus 200; and a clock 49 which recordsdate and time into an inner diagnosis information.

The program for performing the above-described updating processing mayalternatively be stored in the external storage device 300. Not only theprograms related to this invention but also other programs forperforming the navigation may all be stored in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM inthe external storage apparatus. Or else, a part or all of those programsmay alternatively be stored in the ROM 42 in the main-body side. Thesesetting conditions may be arbitrarily selected by a designer as a matterof design choice.

An example of steps of processing the method of displaying a landmarkaccording to the first embodiment of this invention to be carried out bythe above-described navigation apparatus will now be described withreference to the flow chart in FIG. 4. As is ordinarily done, the mapdata are first displayed on the monitor display 12. Landmarks are addedfor indication on this displayed map. At step ST1, a judgment is made ofthe displayed screen, i.e., a rectangle for displaying the map therein.A judgment is made at step ST2 as to whether a landmark exists withinthis rectangle. If there is a landmark at the corresponding coordinatepoint, a peculiar landmark showing a predetermined facility is taken outat step ST3 from the landmark data stored in the information storagedevice 300. A judgment is made at step ST4 as to whether or not asupplementary condition to be added to the facility corresponding to thetaken out landmark exists. If the searched facility is, for example, afast food shop of the company “M” and if it is disposed inside abuilding, the landmark of the shop taken out first is changed and,instead, a landmark in combination with the additional mark showing thatthe shop is inside a building is taken out at step ST5. After the stepST5, a judgment is made at step ST6 as to whether there is a furthersupplementary condition to be added such as the one, for example,whether a parking lot is available. If the shop is provided with a spaceto allow the parking of a motor vehicle, a change is made at step ST7 sothat a landmark added with the parking mark is displayed. If there is nosupplementary condition, the landmark selected first is displayed as itis on the map at step ST8. As a result, on the map in the monitordisplay 12, there are displayed the landmark in combination with theadditional mark and the singly displayed landmark, thereby facilitatingthe discrimination therebetween.

The matters and conditions to be added to the landmark may vary inaccordance with the facilities in question, but they are easily copeswith by increasing the processing steps of the flow chart bypredetermined numbers so that the processing system of the navigationapparatus moves accordingly.

FIG. 5 shows a data construction of the landmark data. A display mode ofthe new landmarks to be formulated by first embodiment is shown in FIG.6. The data stored in the information storage device 300 in FIG. 3 areas listed in the information storage device 300 with the same referencenumerals in FIG. 5. In a landmark data file 301 among them, there isstored data base 302 for materializing first embodiment. The column“coordinates” show the point of presence of the displayed facility. Itis represented by longitude, latitude, or the like and constitutes anelement for determining the position of the facility on the map of thescreen. The column “kind” is to designate the peculiar landmark of thedisplayed facility. The column □size□ shows data to designate the sizeof the displayed peculiar landmark. The column “inside building” showsdata to designate the additional mark in case the corresponding facilityis inside a building, with the result that it is difficult to berecognized from the road. The column “inside park” shows data todesignate an additional mark in case the corresponding facility isinside a park, with the result that it is difficult to be recognizedfrom the road. The column “parking” shows data to designate anadditional mark of a parking mark “P” in case the corresponding facilityis additionally provided with a parking lot. The column “drive-through”shows data to designate an additional mark “DR” in case thecorresponding facility offers a service capable of shopping while ridingon the motor vehicle.

Now let us focus on the first column of the data base 302. If it isassumed that there is a fast food shop of the company “M” as a facilityto be present in the point having coordinates X1, Y1, Z1, then the sizeof the displayed symbol mark is large equipped with a drive-through.Therefore, the peculiar landmark to be finally displayed on the map willbe the one 61 in combination with the additional mark as shown in FIG.6. Similarly, observing the second, third and the fourth lines in thedata base 302, we note that the landmarks to be displayed according tothe respective conditions are the ones in combination with theadditional marks as shown in reference numerals 62, 63, 64,respectively.

As the additional marks to be used in this invention, there areconsidered pictorial representations or figures imaging a building, anunderground shop, a supermarket, a park, or the like; marks such as aparking lot or parking; and also figures such as a mesh, a frame, or thelike for enclosing a landmark therein if used together with adefinition.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, the method of displaying a landmark in thenavigation apparatus of this invention is suitable for improving thedistinction of a facility which is one of the frequently visited chainedconvenience stores or fast food shops from other stores in the samechain, when it uses a symbol mark of the chain stores as its landmark.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of displaying a landmark in a navigationapparatus in which map information, a present position of a motorvehicle, a destination, a driving route, a position of a facility, and alandmark of the facility are displayed on a screen of a monitor display,said method comprising the steps of: storing an additional mark made upof a figure, a mark, and a symbol representing at least one of aninstalled state and a supplementary condition of the facility in astorage device; determining, when the landmark is to be displayed on amap of the monitor display, as to whether the facility has at least oneof the installed state and the supplementary condition; calling up acorresponding additional mark, if the facility has at least one of theinstalled state and the supplementary condition, from the storage devicefor displaying in combination with a peculiar landmark of the facility;and displaying the peculiar landmark of the facility with the additionalmark, if the facility does not have at least one of the installed stateand the supplementary condition then the peculiar landmark of thefacility is displayed as a single landmark.
 2. The method of displayinga landmark in a navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thesize of the peculiar landmark is smaller when displayed in combinationwith the additional mark than when displayed independently.
 3. Themethod of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein a plurality of different additional marks aresimultaneously displayed in combination with the peculiar landmark. 4.The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the additional mark is one of a pictorialrepresentation and a figure, both having an image inclusive of abuilding, an underground market, a supermarket, and a park.
 5. Themethod of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the additional mark is a mark having an image inclusiveof a parking lot, or a drive-through.
 6. The method of displaying alandmark in a navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein theadditional mark is a figure being representative of a mesh or a frame,to enclose the peculiar landmark.
 7. A method of displaying navigationalinformation in a navigation apparatus, the method comprising the stepsof: determining a position of a vehicle; retrieving information from adatabase based on the position of the vehicle, the informationcontaining different symbolic pictures associated with a certainfacility; and displaying the information containing the differentsymbolic pictures on a display, wherein the different symbolic picturescontain a symbol, which is representative of the certain facility, andadditional graphic representations, which are representative ofadditional information pertaining to specific information regarding thecertain facility.
 8. A navigation apparatus comprising: apresent-positioning detector for detecting a position of a vehicle; aninformation storage device for providing information based on theposition of the vehicle, the information containing different symbolicpictures associated with a certain facility; and a display device fordisplaying the information containing the different symbolic pictures,wherein the different symbolic pictures contain a symbol, which isrepresentative of the certain facility, and additional graphicrepresentations, which are representative of additional informationpertaining to specific information regarding the certain facility. 9.The method of displaying a landmark in a navigation apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein the storage device is a database.